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London City Brass
Annual Report
0110112022 - 3111212022
## Reference and administration
## Charity name and number
London City Brass (1186265)
## Principal address
249 Buckhurst Way Buckhurst Hill Essex IG9 6JB
## Trustees
Jack Boyles 11/11/2019-current Chair Josephine Ashdown 11/11/2019-current Secretary Hannah Scales 11/11/2019-current Treasurer Sean Platton 11/11/2019-26/01/2022 Christopher Silberberg 11/11/2019-08/02/2023 Laura Kirk 26/01/2022-current Laura Fox 08/02/2023-current
## Structure and governance
London City Brass (LCB) is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) registered with the Charities Commission, registration number 1186265.
LCB is governed by a Constitution adopted 11 November 2019.
Trustees are appointed or re-appointed by election at an annual general meeting.
## Charitable objectives
LCB set out the following charitable objectives in their constitution:
- To advance, improve, develop and maintain public education in, and appreciation of, the art and science of music in all its aspects by any means the trustees see fit, including through the presentation of public concerts and recitals.
- To support such other purposes deemed to be exclusively charitable within the laws of England and Wales as the trustees in their absolute discretion from time to time determine.
## Activities undertaken for public benefit
In planning the activities of London City Brass, the Trustees have taken into account the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit.
Over the course of 2022, we carried out a large number of performances for public benefit. This year we were able to perform and rehearse more freely due to the end of all Covid restrictions. Regular rehearsals are an essential feature for all members to feel part of a welcoming and sociable community. We also gained three new band members this year. Our first event of the year was our French Open Showcase concert in preparation for our trip to France for the French Open Brass Band Contest. The Showcase brought a varied and entertaining programme of music to a public audience, with free entry and informative, educational introduction to each piece from our conductor. It was also a valuable reintroduction to performance experience for our members, enabling them to showcase the hard work they had put into rehearsing some challenging new music over the first half of the year. Following this successful return to public performance, we travelled to Amboise. Winning the 4th Section made the outing particularly fulfilling; we also formed relationships with other bands from across Europe.
On our return to the UK, we supported MacMillan Cancer charity in their annual Parliamentary Tug of War event, fundraising in Westminster with high profile attendees. Our presence was greatly appreciated as entertainment at a crucial fundraising event for our partner charity. We then embarked on our bandstand season, providing varied musical programmes to audiences across London. We played at Golders Hill Park, Victoria Park, Clapham Common, and Regents Park. Notably, this was our first performance at Clapham Common, bringing brass band music to South London and to a new audience. Each bandstand had a substantial audience of all generations who were introduced to the sounds of a brass band through popular music alongside traditional repertoire, free of charge.
After the summer period, we focused on furthering the musical skills and knowledge of our members by learning an extensive range of less familiar and more challenging pieces. In November, we travelled to Lewes to support a local brass band in the annual Bonfire processions, taking part in a key cultural event. Towards Christmas, we were able to provide carols and incidental music at the Surrey Cricket Foundation’s Cricket Builds Hope carol service in Kennington, raising money to bring cricket to disadvantaged children around the world and in the UK. This was followed by our Christmas concert, another meaningful opportunity for the band members to share their hard work with the public and with friends. Other Christmas events included carolling at the O2 shopping centre, Stepney City Farm, St Margaret Pattens Church, and the Famous Royal Oak pub
for community events which were attended by people of all ages and backgrounds. Children were able to take part with percussion, contributing to their understanding and enjoyment of music and brass bands. Members of the public could also join in with singing, giving them an opportunity to take part in the music-making. Our Christmas performances brought musical enjoyment and education to the public, as well as chances to perform for our members, which is a valuable part of musical education and personal development. We were also able to raise money through donations which support the activities undertaken by the band to benefit the public.
As well as our in-person engagements, we continued to foster a thriving online community through social media and our website. Sharing videos of rehearsals and performances helped to bring brass band music to a wider audience. Evidence of our extended reach includes an increase of 98 Facebook page likes and 93 Instagram followers. We also continued to run our Friends of LCB programme, the members of which doubled in number. The initiative allows more of our followers to feel involved and engaged in the band’s activities while providing financial support for our activities.
## Main achievements
Over the course of 2022 we put on 19 successful, high-quality performances:
- French Open Showcase
- French Open Contest
- MacMillan Parliamentary Tug of War
- Golders Hill bandstand
- Victoria Park bandstand
- Clapham Common bandstand
- Regents Park bandstand
- Private wedding function
- Lewes Bonfire processions
- Chelsea Christmas Light Switch On
- O2 Shopping Carolling
- Cricket Builds Hope and Surrey Cricket Foundation Carol Service
- Christmas Concert
- Stepney City Farm Carolling
- St Margaret Pattens Carolling x2
- City of London Carolling x2
- The Famous Royal Oak Carolling
We reached a high standard of performance and saw members grow in confidence and in musical ability, a great achievement for us. Becoming Champions of France (4th Division) is evidence of our high-quality performance.
We have maintained a sense of community and belonging integral to our ethos as a band. This was achieved through regular social events in addition to weekly rehearsals and performances.
The continued development of our Friends of LCB scheme, which doubled in size in 2022, supports the work of the band financially as well as advancing the public understanding and appreciation of brass band music.
## Plans for the future
LCB will be maintaining our charitable objectives in 2023 and our plans for the future continue to support these objectives.
We plan to continue supporting other charitable organisations through fundraising at events. In addition to spreading awareness and appreciation of the brass band music genre through free concerts and public performances across London.
We hope to include a short tour in the UK in our programme for 2023 where we can take the brass band genre to new audiences and further develop the community spirit within the band itself.
We will continue to challenge and develop our members’ and audiences’ education and appreciation of brass band music with an expanded and varied repertoire and programme of events.
## Financial review
## Financial position
2022 has been a mixed year for LCB’s finances. The removal of Covid restrictions has meant an increase in both member subs and performance income, which has more than offset the increase in costs associated with a return to regular rehearsals. On an ongoing basis, the band’s income exceeds its costs, which allows for investment in band assets and activities as the Committee deems appropriate. However a one-off loss event outside of LCB’s control associated with travel arrangements to the French Open competition has put a severe dent in the band’s finances. The building of reserves in 2020 and 2021 has allowed the band to absorb this one-off loss with no danger to the band’s solvency. It has however meant that we end the year with a balance lower than the band’s reserve amount of £3000.
In 2023, we will look to rebuild the band’s reserves and fortify the financial position to allow normal expenditure to resume from 2024. We anticipate that the band will remain in its reserve until the half year mark, although anticipated income outstanding from Christmas events, Gift Aid, as well as ongoing payments from members could bring the band above its reserve amount as early as the start of Q2 2023.
## Policy on reserves
The trustees have set a policy to ensure an unrestricted reserve of £3,000 as a minimum is kept in the current account. This is to ensure short term commitments such as Musical Director expenses and hire of rehearsal premises can be sustained for at least 6 months.
## Declaration
The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.
Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees:
## J.Boyles
Jack Boyles
Chair
19/03/2023
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Charity Name No (if any)
London City Brass
Receipts and payments accounts CC16a
For the period Period start date Period end date
To
from 01/01/2022 31/12/2022
Section A Receipts and payments
Unrestricted Restricted Endowment
Total funds Last year
funds funds funds
to the nearest
to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £
£
A1 Receipts
Subs 6,221 - - 6,221 5,709
Performance Income 2,776 - - 2,776 362
Gift aid 335 - - 335 2,161
Donations 199 - - 199 60
Socials 30 - - 30 973
Competitions 7,200 - - 7,200 2,611
Miscellanous 2,821 - - 2,821 1,260
- - - - -
Sub total (Gross income for
19,582 - - 19,582 13,137
AR)
A2 Asset and investment sales,
(see table).
- - - -
- - - - -
Sub total - - - - -
Total receipts 19,582 - - 19,582 13,137
A3 Payments
Venue Hire 3,015 - - 3,015 1,644
Staff - - - - 50
Admin Costs 220 - - 220 442
Incidentals 41 - - 41 248
Charity Donations 282 - - 282 282
Socials 403 - - 403 2,556
Competitions 18,046 - - 18,046 -
Miscellanous 48 - - 48 436
Member Refunds 408 - - 408 -
Sub total [ 22,463 ] - - 22,463 5,657
A4 Asset and investment
purchases, (see table)
Music, equipment, instruments 382 - - 382 912
Uniform 240 - - 240 4,523
Sub total [ 622 ] - - 622 5,435
Total payments 23,085 - - 23,085 11,092
Net of receipts/(payments) - 3,503 - - - 3,503 2,044
A5 Transfers between funds - - - - -
A6 Cash funds last year end 5,981 - - 5,981 3,937
Cash funds this year end 2,478 - - 2,478 5,981
**----- End of picture text -----**
CCXX R1 accounts (SS)
24/01/2023
1
## **Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period**
|**Categories**
Signed by one or two trustees on
behalf of all the trustees
**B5 Liabilities**
**B3 Investment assets**
**B2 Other monetary assets**
**B4 Assets retained for the**
**charity’s own use**
**B1 Cash funds**|**Details**
**Details**
**_Total cash funds_**
(agree balances with receipts and payments
account(s))
Main Bank Account YE 2021
Cash funds 2022
**Details**
**Details**
Music
Musical equipment
Instruments
Uniform
**Details**
Signature
Hannah Scales|**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**Restricted**
**funds**
**to nearest £**
**to nearest £**
**5,981**
**-**
**- 3,503**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**2,478**
**-**
OK
OK
**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**Restricted**
**funds**
**to nearest £**
**to nearest £**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**Fund to which**
**asset belongs**
**Cost (optional)**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**Fund to which**
**asset belongs**
**Cost (optional)**
Unrestricted
**-**
Unrestricted
**-**
Unrestricted
**-**
Unrestricted
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**Fund to which**
**liability relates**
**Amount due**
**(optional)**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
Print Name
Hannah Scales|**Endowment**
**funds**
**to nearest £**
**-**
**-**
**-**|
|---|---|---|---|
||||**-**|
||||OK|
||||**Endowment**
**funds**
**to nearest £**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**Current value**
**(optional)**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**Current value**
**(optional)**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**When due**
**(optional)**
Date of
approval
23/01/2023|
CCXX R2 accounts (SS)
24/01/2023
2